New Orleans
(Page 2 of 14)

New Orleans

This morning we laid concrete. Sidewalk. Driveway. Walkway. Landing. And it was awesome.

I can’t remember being this exhausted, this sunburnt, or this happy. It’s been a great two days on site here, and we are looking forward to two more.
Avery, the site coordinator stopped by at lunch time to thank us for ten years of service, and present Berklee with a certificate of thanks, which we will bear home with pride. We have been told that we may get the chance to meet the owners of the house we are working on, and we look forward to the opportunity of meeting one of the individuals in need of our help. ﻿

We arrived in NOLA to embark on our 10th trip to the city for our Gracenotes Habitat for Humanity Sponsorship. I am eager to see the progress since the first time I was down here in 2013 when arrived in this vibrant city to help build homes. We have a great group of volunteers this year with a group of 5 staff and 3 faculty.

We arrived safely in New Orleans, collected from the airport by the decade loyal Berklee cab driver Mo, and delivered to the French Quarter. We took the opportunity to wonder around and explore the mixed majesty that is the area around Bourbon Street — glorious old architecture that has survived the test of time, coupled with sadly diminished buildings in desperate need of help.

The paint-peeled shutters and crumbling buildings on every street present a spectacle of beauty in their own right, and yet are a reminder of why we have traveled over 1500 miles to lend our hands in rebuilding this amazing keystone in American Art and History. The anticipation of what comes next is palpable, as we wait to find how Habitat for Humanity can benefit from the humble but willing hands of out Gracenotes team.

Tomorrow, we get the privilege of exploring the Big Easy further, to gain a deeper appreciation of the great American town that we break ground in Wednesday morning.

Jordan Lockaby, Project Manager for the Dean of Admissions, writes from Berklee’s Gracenotes trip in New Orleans.

One week after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast with winds up to 175 miles per hour President Barack Obama addressed our horrified nation.

“In the coming weeks, as the images of the immediate crisis fade and this chamber becomes consumed with other matters, we will be hearing a lot about lessons learned and steps to be taken… Once we stabilize the situation, this country will face an enormous challenge in providing stability for displaced families over the months and years that it will take to rebuild.”

This autumn marks ten years since the hurricane took almost 2,000 lives, and there is still work to be done to repair New Orleans.